Yemen rebels take control of military base outside capital

SANAA, Yemen – Yemeni officials say Shiite rebels have captured a key military base south of the capital where U.S. advisers had previously trained counter-terrorism forces.

They say the Republican Guard camp captured Thursday was used by American experts until 2012 to train local forces battling Al Qaeda's powerful Yemeni affiliate. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

The Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, have seized a number of key military facilities in recent days, including the headquarters of the paramilitary special forces. They captured the capital in September.

The camp captured Thursday was manned by forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is suspected of quietly backing the rebels. The seizure of the camp could drive a wedge between the two.